DramatistDreamer

P&G soaps definitely had a fascination with bringing back their most roguish characters back from the 'dead' in the 1980s! I'm always fascinated by the careers of bit players on soaps, especially when soaps were at the height of their popularity, so it has been interesting to see actresses like Bai Ling and Sharon Washington (who played Karen Kennedy, a secretary at Spaulding) have careers that are flourishing. I had no idea that Bai Ling had appeared on GL until binge-watching some 1993 episodes.

Stephanie with Debbie Allen and Eartha Robinson, who also has a bit of a soap connection. Or at least she had been romantically linked with an actor, Russell Wong who was once on a soap.

FWIW, her role on the show wasn't really all that prominent in terms of a speaking role. She was really part of the all important dance sequences. Ironically, I think Stephanie was probably featured a bit more prominently when she was on the show because judging from this photograph, her character had dated Leroy at one time.

Don't know if these B&B promos were posted previously but oh my goodness. This B&B promo that takes place during an episode of Guiding Light is particularly amusing. When the announcer says "Yeah, right!" after Brooke's remark shows that even he's not buying her line.

You didn't know that?! She was a professional dancer before she became an actress. I believe I read that she did a stint in The Wiz. Yeah, both Jasmine Guy and Stephanie E. Williams are professionally trained dancers. Before Victoria, there was Stephanie.

In the British Parliamentary system, being the head of the party doesn't automatically mean becoming Prime Minister when elections come around. With the mess that the Tories have been creating, there's a good chance that the Conservatives could get dumped. Jeremy Corbyn is no prize and Labour have their own issues but their party is not the one that pulled the Brexit rip cord, so they have that going for them. And if things really become as chaotic as they are predicted to get, things will look even worse for the Tories. Some things I've learned from my time living/studying in England is that the Brits really hold onto their traditions and their history and their bitterness. A people who still invoke wartime language when speaking of Germany won't soon forget it if they are brought low by the Brexit aftermath. Speaking of being brought low, I am loathe to make any prognostications about politics (presidential or otherwise) but if Trump gets reelected, the U.S. will definitively be at the end of its time as any sort of world power. The two self-immolations that have happened in front of the White House lawn in the past two months will pale in comparison to what will lay ahead. I'm not prone to exaggerations (I said it was going to be life and death for many if Trump got elected, which has turned out to be the case) and I believe that it will be even more dire for many people.

At first I wondered whether that was Stephanie E. Williams or Eartha Robinson but looking at the face (even though it's a blurry image that goes by fast), I'm convinced that this is Stephanie, and not Eartha, who is doing the Russian Splits alongside Jasmine Guy. Both Eartha and Stephanie did choreography with Debbie Allen.

Yes, it's called a Russian Split. via GIPHY

It's official.

I remember when I used to read about Tibetans who self-immolated in public places. It was described as the act of desperation and hopelessness.

Someone was tweeting about Debbie Allen a few days ago and posted a GIF of the Fame TV opening credits sequence and I was trying to discern whether it was Stephanie E. Williams that features in the last frame with Jasmine Guy so I started to do an online search and came across this TV Guide cover. Has this been posted previously? This is from 1985.

Interesting thread.

I agree. I stopped reading anything that she's written some time ago. I guess I just assumed others have done the same. I still maintain that the best part of the NYTimes remains their Metro NYC section. Their Arts section can still be good as well, if you skip most of the reviews. Hate to risk ruining what's left of everyone's holiday weekend but what I'm seeing is that Trump's lies don't take time off, even if we do. I thought this piece was interesting, especially given that it's Memorial Day.

This was a great example of the type of dialogue that I was talking about. I guess the show often used Nadine as a talking point to show that she was open to concepts that might be considered "out there" to other characters. I don't see characters on any of today's daytime soaps even broaching concepts of these sorts. Actually, even back then, this type of discussion was pretty rare on most soaps of the day. IMO, it was presented in a way that was not meant to mock but explore those topics and go beyond the usual soap chatter. The scene starts at 6:16. https://youtu.be/bqCOIvCHv0g?t=376

Anything even remotely connected to Trump is infinitely messy.

Yeah, I know how they use snap but I just think it's an overused term like "tea". From the time I spent living in London, I've noticed that for all their many (many) faults, the Brits seem more resistant to the idea of being caught up in a cult of personality than Americans. Perhaps because they spent hundreds of years being ruled by monarchy but many seem. Brits are also more honest about the fact that class has been a major factor in social mobility than Americans.

He didn't snap. He calmly but passionately hit the nail on the head on every point.

They've already started in on Elizabeth Warren. They're determined to agitate for the candidates that they want.

Which is why, even after I returned from the polls where I had cast my vote, about an hour later, I began to have a sinking feeling. I mentioned it to no one, I tried to brush away the thoughts that were creeping into my thoughts but as the day went on and I saw news reports about HRC campaign headquarters' itinerary shifting, I felt a genuine sense of unease. I'm glad I cast my vote because, honestly had I not...I'm the type of person who would've been haunted by this for decades. My state went for HRC but, as they say, no man is an island and I'm not shielded from the anger I feel as I read about each child migrant death in custody or every religious building being shot up, set fire to or sprayed with racist graffitti or women having to demonstrate for rights that should be ours and enshrined in law since before I was born! Even though I try to avoid thinking about it all the time, on some level I knew that with Trump in the WH, the U.S. would transform into an ungovernable hellscape. Unlike Susan Sarandon, I bore no illusions about the people rising up to fight this new menace. Being black in America has taught me not to make such assumptions. Also, I don't care what happens to Julian Assange. Don't know why I felt the need to write that.